Mamata accuses Centre of interfering in state’s affairs

Hours after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) started its probe into the Burdwan blast, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee lashed out at the Centre on Friday, accusing it of ‘increasing trend of interference’ in matters related to state governments.

Hours after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) started its probe into the Burdwan blast, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee lashed out at the Centre on Friday, accusing it of ‘increasing trend of interference’ in matters related to state governments.

“Ever since the new government has come to power at the Centre, there is an increasing trend of interference by the central government in the state matters,” she wrote in a Facebook post.

This was the first time that she offered her comments after the Burdwan blast on October 2 that killed two and exposed a terror network and factory unheard of in Bengal.

Banerjee did not mention the Burdwan blast, but confined herself to statements of principles. She wrote, it is expected that Centre and the states do not encroach upon the areas of activities of others.

“This practice is unprecedented, undemocratic and unethical. This marks a dangerous signal of violation of the Constitutional norms, jeopardising the federal structure and democratic fibre of our country,” she wrote.

State BJP leaders were quick to refute her claims. “Trinamool Congress government opposed the NIA probe simply because the investigation is likely to unearth links of a number of Trinamool leaders to this incident,” BJP state president Rahul Sinha said.